Hurricane on the Horizon
by mizperceived
Summary: Not all love stories end with a 'Happily Ever After'. Is the love that Reno and Cloud share strong enough to weather the storm coming? Cloud/Reno. AU-ish.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings therein. They are the sole creative property of SquareEnix.  
Title: Hurricane on the Horizon  
Warnings: AU-ish, yaoi: Cloud/Reno, Implied Zack/Cloud (More pairings in later chapters)  
Summary: Is his and Cloud's love strong enough to weather the storm? Not all love stories end in with a 'Happily Ever After'  
A/N: Read and Review, please.

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**Hurricane on the Horizon**  
Prologue

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Reno could feel it in the air. There was a storm brewing but not outside in the muggy Edge night. No, the storm that was about to rage was inside the apartment he shared with his boyfriend, Cloud Strife. They had been living together for just over a year now, together for nearly twice as long.

It had been the best time in his life, for the most part. Cloud still suffered from debilitating depression at times and Reno was no saint with his drinking and smoking, but he did his best and eventually did quit smoking. After a pretty vicious fight they had a month ago, Reno's drinking increased exponentially. That was the night that the storm first started forming in the deep oceanic waters that was their relationship.

Reno laid his forehead against the cool steel door to their apartment as he thought about the events over the last month that has irrevocably changed his life.


	2. A Realization

A/N: Read and Review, please.

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**Hurricane on the Horizon**  
A Realization

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Reno was no one's fool. He knew that there were still things haunting Cloud when he took up with the kid. It was that common thread that bonded them. What kept the attraction was how each dealt with issues. Reno lifted Cloud while the blonde grounded him. But there was one person, one ghost that could and had been driving a wedge between them for as long as Reno could remember.

Zack Fair.

The bastard was dead but he was more alive in Cloud's thoughts and memories now more than ever. Reno could never hate the man, hell they were somewhat chummy when Zack was alive but he despised the spell the slain SOLDIER still wove around his lover.

Reno knew and dealt with the identity crisis and the guilt that Cloud felt over living while Zack and Aerith perished. He stood by him through all of that. What Reno could not and would not deal with was how Cloud had a stranglehold on keeping Zack's memory alive. It was one thing to remember a birthday or the anniversary of someone's death. You should remember and celebrate that but what Cloud did was just unhealthy.

In Reno's –their apartment Reno mentally correct himself- was a proverbial shrine to the fallen 1st Class SOLDIER. Cloud had tracked down and met up with Zack's old SOLDIER roommate, Kunsel, and retrieved a bunch of Zack's belongings. There in Cloud's closet, along with his clothes were Zack's 2nd Class and spare 1st Class uniforms. Pictures of the fallen hero were strewn about their apartment. Every which way Reno turned he was always face to face with HIM and what HE had with Cloud and what Reno could never get from Cloud.

It all came to a head one night about a month ago and at the worst possible time. Cloud and Reno were being frisky as usual but Cloud suggested that they shake things up a bit. In the midst of their love making, as Reno was bringing Cloud to a climax; instead of moaning his name, the blonde let out a feral groan calling for Zack or at least that's what Reno thought he heard. He wasn't sure so he didn't say anything.

A short time later, Cloud was curled up into Reno's side while the redhead was looking over his next mission dossier. He would be taking the rookie with him on this mission. It wouldn't be an easy one but Reno knew Yaz could handle it, hell Reno was the one that recruited him. While flipping through the documents, Reno listened intently to Cloud's light snoring. It was one of the secret pleasures he had in this relationship. Smiling down at his lover, he reached out and stroked the blonde spikes lovingly. That's when he heard the words that cut him deeper than Cloud's sword ever did.

"Zack," the blonde sighed. "Still love you. Always," Cloud mumbled as he turned into the caress.

It was no secret that Cloud talked in his sleep sometimes. Reno's sick sense of humor loved it actually, he would hold the most asinine conversations with the blonde but they were informative. It's how Reno found out that Cloud liked him a long time ago when they went on a mission together.

Licking his suddenly dry lips and trying to calm the knot that formed in his stomach Reno, in a low tone, asked a question. One that he prayed would be answered, and answered correctly.

"But, ya love Reno more, right?" Reno asked with a smirk.

Reno's heart thundered in his chest as he waited in the still of the night for a response. The silence was killing him but maybe it was for the best. Reno stared unfocused at the papers before him when he felt Cloud violently switch sleeping positions and huffed.

"No, 'snot Zack."

The Turk stared down at Cloud. Hot tears suddenly started spilling from his eyes. He always knew this, had a gut feeling about it, but as long as it was unspoken he guess it was good enough for him. Cloud did love him, he had no doubt about that but to hear that a dead man had more of Cloud's heart than he did was too much to handle.

As quietly and quickly as he could, Reno gathered up all of his documents and headed into the living room. He could not lay in that bed where Cloud was thinking about being with someone else. Getting back down to work, hoping that it would ease his mind, Reno decided he would kind of confront Cloud in the morning before he left, or at least make a veiled plea.

Groaning as his back popped back into position, Reno opened one bleary eye to look at the dimly lit living room. Reaching above his head, he grabbed his cell phone off the end table, knocking over a few picture frames in the process. He checked the time and saw that for once he was up early, and would definitely be on time. Reno grinned evilly, what a perfect way to scare Tseng. Show up at his place with coffee and donuts.

Evil master plan in mind to mess with his boss' head, Reno sat up quickly and bent over to pick up the frames he knocked over. Checking the first one to make sure it wasn't cracked he looked lovingly at the picture of him and Cloud taken at some formal event Rufus insisted they dress in tuxedos for. It was one of Reno's favorites and his phone's wallpaper. Still smiling at the memory of the event, Reno picked up the other frame and turned it over. His smile vanished in an instant. It was a picture of Cloud and Zack. Zack looking every part the hero in his 1st Class uniform and Cloud the cutie in the cadet uniform. Zack was standing behind Cloud, with his arms wrapped around the blonde's waist. The blush on Cloud's cheeks was endearing. Reno hardly ever got to see that blush for himself. Reno felt the beginning tendrils of jealousy wrapping around his heart, he tried to stop it but remembered what happened last night and why he slept on the couch. Letting that anger and jealousy over take him, he smashed the frame on the ground, causing the glass to shatter underneath.

Reno got up and walked into the bedroom to grab some fresh clothing before he entered the shower. The noise of the water being turned on woke Cloud from his restful slumber. Rolling over, he read the time on the clock, it was just barely after 6 am. Casting a bemused look towards the bathroom, Cloud got out of bed and padded over attempting to open the door. He frowned when the handle didn't turn. Reno never locked the bathroom door, ever. Chuckling to himself that this may be just a side effect from the Turk waking up a good two hours earlier than normal, he headed out into the hallway towards the half-bath to relieve himself.

Cloud walked into the living and saw Reno's laptop and paperwork strewn all over the coffee table, along with a pillow and thin blanket neatly piled on one of the seats. 'He slept in…here?' Cloud didn't let the thought stay too long once he noticed the item on the floor. Quickly closing the distance, Cloud reached for the frame and slowly turned it over. Biting his lip, he picked off pieces of broken glass, hoping none embedded itself into the picture. It was one of his favorite pictures of him and Zack. Stroking a finger lovingly down Zack's image, the blonde didn't hear Reno enter the room.

Shooting a dark glare to Cloud's back, Reno made his presence known, intentionally interrupting whatever it was Cloud was doing to that blasted picture.

"Mornin' yo," Reno muttered as he continued to towel dry his hair. He stood there; his bare feet peeking out from his black dress pants, no shirt on but the towel now tossed over one shoulder as his arms were akimbo.

"Reno, did you knock over this picture?"

Reno's head reeled. The blonde didn't say anything to him but asked about the damn picture. Falling back on his defensive mechanism, Reno let all of his sarcasm come out in his statement.

"Well let's see, there's only two of us living in this apartment, right?" he sneered.  
"Just be a bit more careful, okay? These pictures mean a lot to me," Cloud sighed and he stood up and turned to look at Reno.  
"I know," was the only thing the redhead said as he gave Cloud an unreadable look before retreating back to the bedroom to finish dressing.

A few minutes later and fully dressed with his messenger bag packed with his laptop, documents and EMR that was closed, Reno peeked into the kitchen where Cloud was enjoying his morning tea.

"Hey," Reno said with a slight sigh as he kissed Cloud on the forehead.  
"Hi. I'm not used to you being up this early," Cloud said as he was slightly fidgeting in his seat. "Want some breakfast?"  
"Nah. I'ma go pick up some coffee and donuts and head over to Tseng's."  
"Okay."

Reno looked at the blonde for a moment as he weighed his next words.

"Cloud?"  
"Hm?" he responded as he turned in his seat to look at the redhead.  
"Whatcha think about redecorating?"  
"Re…decorating…"  
"Yeah," Reno said as he scratched the back of his head. Cloud stared at Reno, the action always reminded him of Zack. The two men always scratched the back of their head when they were nervous about something. Letting a ghost of a smile pass his features, Cloud encouraged Reno to continue.  
"What do you have in mind?"  
"Well, uhm. I was thinkin that, that is ah. Well it's like you have your stuff and I got my stuff but we don't really have our stuff," the redhead said as his hands animated the conversation.  
"Our… stuff?"  
"Yeah, like ok… most of this shit in here is mine and when you moved in yours just got added to it yanno but there's nothing that's ours that we chose together," Reno said hoping he was getting his point across as he picked up a glass replica of a Banora White Apple.  
Frowning, Cloud plucked the knick-knack out of Reno's hands and gently placed it back in its place as he answered him, "I guess…"  
"Cool. We'll talk about it later. I'ma head out to work yo. Love you," Reno said as he bent down to kiss Cloud goodbye.  
"Love you too."  
"Always?" Reno asked as he turned to walk out of the kitchen not waiting to hear the response.

Cloud heard the door close to the front entrance and closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Reno," he breathed as he got up from the breakfast table to clean up his dishes.


	3. A Reflection

Pairings: Cloud/Reno, Tseng/Rufus. Mentioned: Zack/Cloud and Tseng/Genesis

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**Hurricane on the Horizon**  
A Reflection**

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**

Reno stepped out of his apartment building and into the cool crisp morning. The seasons were starting to change; winters hold on the city was easing as the first tendrils of spring's warming touch flowed through the streets. Reno headed in a familiar direction, one he would swear that he transversed enough times that there should be a worn in pattern of his footsteps on the smooth concrete.

Though Tseng's official residence was in Kalm, Reno was one of the few to know where and with whom he really lived with for the last few years. Stopping momentarily at the local coffee house for some supplies, Reno continued on his way towards the new ShinRa building. The roads were bare but for the few that milled about, getting ready to open their shops for the day or getting that early morning jog in before starting the busy day ahead of them.

Reno was well aware of flurry of activity around him, not only was it his nature but the need to be aware of his surrounds due to his job was so ingrained in his psyche that it was almost a sixth sense. Soaking in the sounds, he let his mind partially wander back to the events that took place this morning. He couldn't shake the feeling that he intruded on something in the living room. Like it was something that he wasn't meant to see, something private between Cloud and he didn't know. If it had been the first time, Reno would have just shook it off as nothing, but now that he thought about it, there were times in which Cloud was almost skittish around him when he entered a room unannounced.

Scowling at his thoughts, Reno pushed his way into the almost empty lobby of the Shinra building, or as it was officially called, The Lillian Shinra Memorial Building after Rufus' deceased mother. Ignoring the odd looks he received for arriving well before his normal self imposed 10 A.M. start time, he proceeded to the elevators as he slipped his key card out of his pocket. Reno checked the lids on the coffee cups while he waited patiently for the executive elevator to be recalled to the lobby. Looking up and glancing around he noted that it was much easier to maneuver through the building at this hour. The light ding of the elevator washed away that thought and he glided into the elevator, swiping his key in the reader that would grant him access to the top two floors, PH1 and PH2 respectively. Reno pressed a knuckle into the PH2 button as he palmed his key before slipping it back into his inner coat pocket.

The ride to Rufus' private residence wasn't a long one, but Reno felt the need to lean back against the far wall of the elevator and let out a deep sigh. Suddenly he felt older than his thirty years; the traitorous thoughts about his relationship just wouldn't leave his head no matter how hard he tried. Staring off in an unseeing gaze, Reno stood in the elevator for several seconds as the door opened up into the small alcove in front of the penthouse's double doors.

Chuckling to himself that he lapsed into a daydream for a minute, Reno walked towards the doors. Passing both the retina and thumb scan, he entered his own personal code to the President's home.

"You sexy beasts betta be decent or no coffee," he called out as he entered the apartment.

Tseng was the first to appear, walking out of the master suite while tying his blood red robe that had an embroidered panther crawling down the left side, tighter around his muscular form.

"Reno," he called out as he searched the redhead's face for signs of trouble, "did something happen to Rude?"

"Not that I know of," Reno said as he placed the tray of beverages on the coffee table and plucked out an old fashioned doughnut out of the bag for himself. "Why ya ask?" he said as he flopped down on the cream-colored leather couch. He tilted his head back to watch Tseng walk around the couch to sit in the arm chair next to him.

"You are here at," Tseng squinted to see the time on the grandfather clock across the room, "seven-thirty in the morning," he finished as he raised his eyebrows in shock.

Whatever Reno's response was going to be was lost as the third person in the apartment decided to make his presence know.

"Mornin' Princess," Reno chirped happily as Rufus flipped him off as the blonde shuffled over to the couch, attracted by the scent of a properly brewed cup of coffee. Turning back to Tseng, Reno shrugged and gave the simplest answer he could think of, "just thought ya two would enjoy a good cup of coffee."

"Hmm," was all Tseng had to say as he eyed his Second over the large steaming cup of coffee. The dark haired man knew from experience that it was better to remain silent if he wanted information out of his Turk. When something was troubling the redhead, he would always babble on to either Tseng or Rude until it finally came out, so he just sat back and awaited the flood of words that was to come.

Staring into his cup of coffee, Reno shrugged again, "I slept on the couch last night. Guess I got a betta nights rest there 'cause I woke up even before Cloud did."

Rufus paused mid-bite when he heard the slight catch in Reno's voice and turned to look at him, it was then that the blonde noticed the glassy look in Reno's eyes. Rufus shared a look with Tseng before patting Reno on the knee and excusing himself and heading back into the master suite. Gaia knew that Rufus loved Reno. Their relationship went deeper than employee and employer, more than friends at one point.

It wasn't that many years ago that it was Reno living here for a short time with Rufus and not Tseng, but Reno needed much more than what the President could offer him. Reno needed a deeper and more available emotional relationship and Rufus, for as much as he tried, could not do it. Their relationship ended on a good note and was chalked up to being young and wild but even Reno knew back then that Rufus was made for Tseng and Tseng for the President.

Reno flashed Tseng a sad smile as he watched Rufus get up and walk out of the room. Finishing up the last of his coffee, Reno regarded his longtime friend and boss as he thought if he should share what had been going on but Tseng, as always had more insight than he let on.

"Do you want to speak about it?" Tseng asked quietly. Reno shrugged as he started picking imaginary lint off of the sleeve of his jacket.

"It's nothing yo," he said after a few moments.

In the ensuing silence, the sound of Rufus' shower being turned on and the ticking of the second hand of the grandfather clock filled the room. Tseng sat there with a serene look on his face as he continued to wait out the redhead, he knew any moment now and Reno would crack. If anyone else was around Reno would have driven back whatever was worrying him, he was that good with hiding his issues and emotions but sometimes, even the strongest of men needed to break a little.

"He's still in love with him," he finally said.

"Pardon?" Tseng said, having an idea of who Reno was speaking about but not for certain.

"Cloud. He's still in love with Zack," Reno said with a hint of bitterness edging his tone. "Lemme ask ya something Tseng," Reno said as he shifted in his seat. "How long after Genesis left did ya hang onto his shit?"

"I.. ah," Tseng said, caught off guard by the Turk's question.

"I knew about you and Gen," Reno said as he flipped his hand in a nonchalant manner as if the point that Reno knew something that was a much-guarded secret of Tseng's meant nothing.

"Well," the Wutain started after clearing his throat a few times, "I was very angry at him and destroyed most of his belongings that I had almost immediately. It was the very first time I experienced cold rage. Why do you ask, Reno?"

"Hmm. Do you think it's different when someone leaves and when someone dies?" Reno asked, ignoring the other man's question for now.

"Everyone's experience with loss is different. Having someone choose to leave you, whether temporary or not is very different from having someone taken away from you permanently. It also depends on the person being left behind and how it effects them." Reno listened intently to Tseng's words, though they didn't offer him any comfort they did give him a different perspective.

"He still has his SOLIDER uniforms in the closet," Reno said in a pained whisper. Tseng did his best to mask the shocked look from crossing his face and was saved from responding when the clock chimed the top of the hour. Tseng didn't know what to say to that revelation, so he stood up and excused himself to get dressed for the workday that was approaching.

Rufus rejoined Reno in the living a few scant moments after Tseng left and finished off Tseng's partially eaten scone before settling back down on the couch and looking over at Reno.

"So…"

"Hm?"

"Share with me your thoughts on the newest recruits," Rufus said.

Reno was grateful for the change of subject. This was something that he could focus on and put his personal issues into the back compartment of his mind. He couldn't dwell on something that he felt might be out of his hands, something that was there before he was, something that might never ease or change.

"They're lookin' good, specially Yaz. That kid got promise," Reno said.

"Kid?" Rufus chuckled at the term to use their most promising recruit. "That Kid, as you so call him, is well over twenty-three."

"Still a kid in my books, yo," Reno said with a wink.

The President and Second in Command of the Department of Administrative Affairs took the next twenty minutes to go over the days activities that were planned for the new recruits. Reno and Rude were assigned the task of all training from office work to hand to hand combat. Rufus wanted his most capable men to handle this.

Before parting to start the grueling workday, Rufus called out to Reno and gave the Turk a somewhat worried but comforting look as he was heading to the training center two floors down from the Presidential Office.

"It's 'kay boss. Nothing I can't handle yo," Reno said as his gave Rufus a jaunty salute and walked away.


End file.
